How does one take on the title of Duke or Count aside from marrying into a royal family?

Question

I know one can marry into royalty and therefore take on the title of duke or count but how does one attain that title on one's own?

Answer 1

Basically you need to impress, or do a serious favour to, someone who has the right to confer titles. That basically means an independent ruler in a state that hasn't abolished such titles legally. The Queen of the UK has that right (though in practice it is her government who decide who should get titles and she rubber-stamps its decisions). So have a number of other kings and queens. So has the Pope, in his capacity as ruler of the Vatican State. (E.g. the celebrated Irish tenor John McCormack was made a papal count in recognition of his work for Catholic charities.)

In most European countries a woman who marries a titled man automatically gets to share his rank (e.g. if you marry a king, you become a queen). A man who marries into royalty doesn't necessarily get a title - e.g. neither of the husbands of Princess Anne were given one.

Answer 2

there are lots of Dukes and lords from way back and the titles are passed down to the Sons. If you are English and are famous or do a lot for charity and different things you can be given Lord status  in the Honours List which the Queen makes twice a year

Answer 3

To gain, for example, a British title, you must be British.  You can be named a Duke, but those titles seem to be reserved for members of the royal family. The title of Count, I believe is extended to individuals from the sovereign (I'm sure Parliament is involved too.).  These titles can be either heriditary or they could die when the person dies. Therefore making it available for someone else to hold the title. Some titles have gone unused for decades at a time.   Some are even "extinct, " never to be used again.

You can get a Scottish barony  (lord) without being royal or noble. The title comes with the purchase of the land. You lose the land, you lose the title.

Answer 4

one founds a country and them makes ones relatives nobility , there one makes sure that one is in line for the throne and one then is a count or a duke. a duke is second to the throne accension i'm not sure how far down the line a count is.

OR... one gets involved in Jazz musicor show biz  and takes whatever title one chooses. ( I.E. elvis was the king, count bsai was a jazz musician and the duke was John Wayne. )

Answer 5

By birth, you are a Duke if you are the son of a Duke, and Daddy dies, or if you are a Prince, and the king/queen confers the title of Duke.

Or you can buy it.  (I think the Queen of England can just confer it upon you,) but you can buy titles in some countries, depending...there have been periods when the crown needed money, and the bourgeoisie wanted more status, so the wealthy untitled folks would buy titles from the King.  Big business under Carlos II of Spain and Louis XV of France.

I think you can still buy a castle in Germany and get the title that goes with it.

Answer 6

if you do a service for the monarch they may knight you or give you land and a title. p.s. if you are talking about great britain they do not have counts but Marquis.

Answer 7

Titles are normally inherited.  Generally speaking, the title goes to the oldest son unless there is no son, in which case it most often goes to the nearest male relative.  there are a few titles that can pass through the female line, I believe Scotland allowed women to inherit titles in their own right for instance.  

If a woman marries a member of the nobility she will normally take on a feminine version of his title, so a woman who marries a duke will be a Duchess, a woman who marries a count will be a countess etc.

Answer 8

You don't stand much chance of becoming a Duke but if you are a citizen of a country with a monarchy and you perform some major service to the nation, you MIGHT be made an Earl / Count. But that is a pretty big deal.  They're not giving out hereditary peerages in the UK anymore but are giving life peerages.

A Duke is the highest rank of the nobility. Outside royalty,  which has its own collection of Ducal titles that it can bestow on its relatives or those who marry into it, I don't think you take on the title of Duke without inheriting it in the same way that a king would inherit his position. Dukes were at one time powerful rulers of whole provinces / regions. There are not very many Dukes.

Counts are lower down, under Marquis ( Marquess in UK), which is below a Duke.  In the UK an Earl is the equivalent of a Count in some European countries, and the female equivalent of an Earl (and the wife of an Earl) is a Countess.   Some people have been made Earls through service to the nation - - for example some generals have been made Earls such as Lord Kitchener.

It is more common though that someone receiving an honour would be given a lesser rank than Earl - - like being made a Baronet (the lowest rank of the nobility in England) or a Knight (like Sir Paul McCartney)  or Dame, for women (like Dame Judi Dench)  

Sometimes a person is first made a Baronet and then given an additional honour later after some other service.

In the UK here is the order:

**The Peerage** - - the highest group of nobility - these ranks could sit in the House of Lords

Duke/Duchess

Marquess/Marchioness

Earl/Countess

Viscount/Viscountess

Baron/Baroness  

**The Baronetage**: Baronet - - an hereditary honour, but not part of the "Peerage"and has never entitled one to a seat in the House of Lords.

**Knighthood**: Knight/  Dame (woman given the honour in her own right) .  The wife of a knight is called Lady

In England, the Crown was selling baronetcies to raise money in the 1600s. I don't know if any countries  would sell you  a title now, but  there are some scamsters who would be glad to sell you a fake title that would be meaningless. (see link)